MOSCOW: Russia on Saturday warned that an “explosive escalation” in hostilities between Iran and Israel risked spiralling out of control after Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian military sites.
Israel warned Tehran would “pay a heavy price” if it retaliated to its strikes, and the United States, Britain, and Germany demanded Iran not to further escalate the conflict.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova expressed deep concern over “the ongoing explosive escalation” in the region and called for immediate restraint from all involved parties.
“We urge all parties involved to exercise restraint, stop the violence, and prevent events from developing into a catastrophic scenario,” Zakharova stated. “It is necessary to avoid provoking Iran into retaliation and to escape this dangerous spiral of escalation.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin told a summit of the BRICS group of emerging countries this week that tensions between Israel and Iran risked leading to a full-scale war in the Middle East region.
“The level of confrontation between Iran and Israel has sharply risen. This is all reminiscent of a chain reaction and puts the whole Middle East on the verge of full-scale war,” the Russian leader said.
Russia has close relations with Iran and has expressed deep concerns about a wider conflict in the region, where it has security and economic interests.
Israel launched strikes against targets in Iran early Saturday, with the Israel army claiming on social media that it was in “reply to months of continuous strikes” by Tehran.
Arab media cited the Israeli army as claiming, “Right now the Israeli Army is conducting precise attacks on military targets in Iran,”.
Israel has been planning a reply to a ballistic missile barrage conducted by Iran on October 1, Iran’s second direct strike on Israel in the last six months.
In Tehran, the sound of blasts could be heard, with state-run media there earlier admitting at least six explosions were heard around the city and adding some of the sounds came from air defence systems around Tehran.
A Tehran inhabitant told The AP that around 7 blasts could be heard, which rattled the surrounding area. Iran’s official TV later stated that operations at the city’s airports were “normal.”
Israel’s attacks on Iran did not include striking Iranian nuclear facilities, oil fields, and focused on military targets, ABC News and NBC News reported, quoting an Israeli official.
Meanwhile, in Washington, White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett stated that the “targeted attacks on military targets” are “an exercise of self-defence and in reply to Iran’s ballistic missile strike against Israel on October 1.”
AFP cited a US defence official as saying that the US was “informed beforehand and there is no role of the US in it.
Tehran has launched two ballistic missile strikes on Israel in recent months. Israel also has also launched a ground offensive on Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Syrian official media stated that Israeli air strikes targeted some military areas in central and southern Syria.
The United States has urged Iran to halt attacking Israel to pause the cycle of violence following Israel launched attacks against Iran in retaliation for a missile bombardment.
US National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett told reporters that they urged Iran to cease its strikes on Israel so that this cycle of fighting can finish without further escalation.
According to Western media, the Israeli army carried out air strikes against Iran on Saturday, striking military bases as well as missile sites, and other systems in several areas. He said, “Their reply was an exercise in self-defence and exactly avoided populated regions and focused exclusively on military targets,”.
He said that Washington did not participate in the operation, adding, “It is our aim to accelerate diplomacy and de-escalate tensions in the region.”
